Apparatus for handling metal sheets



Dec. 14, 1948. c. A. LARKIN APPARATUS FOR HANDLII'JG METAL SHEETS Filed July 18, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iigl.

INVENTOR C/M/PL 55,4. LARK/N,

C. A. LARKIN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL SHEETS Dec. 14, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1946 R O T N E V m WA M m M @A Dec; 14, 1948. c. A. LARKIN 2,456,004

' APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL SHEETS Filed July 18, 1946 4 Sheets-Shet s INVENTOR Dec. 14, 1948. A, LARKIN 2,456,004

APPARATUS FOR 'HANDLING METAL SHEETS INVENTOR A CHARLfJA LARK/N,

Patented Dec. 14, 1948 I APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL Charles A. Larkln, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 18, 1946, Serial No. 684,400

\ Claims. (Cl. 214-6) 1 In the handling of metal sheets, such as steel sheets produced in a sheet mill, it is customary to pile the sheets one on another at the end of a processing line. Sheets to be thus piled generally are ejected from a pair of pinch rolls located at the end of the processing line, and are deposited in vertically stacked relationship upon two or more skids supported on a gravity roller conveyor. The impetus given each sheet as it leaves the pinch rolls is sufiicient to cause it to slide over the preceding sheet and stop in the desired position by contacting a fixed stop. I

The present invention relates to an improved construction of sheetstops employed for the piling of steel sheets at the end of a processing line, the improved construction of the invention obviating certain of the difliculties heretofore encountered in mechanisms of this general kind. Thus, sheet stops employed previously to the present invention have not proven entirely satisfactory in service, as they are a constant source of maintenance, and due to their bulk and lack of maneuverability, are difilcult to operate.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for stopping and piling steel sheets at the end of a processing line which is highly simplified mechanically for minimizing maintenance, and which will avoid damage to the ends of the sheets being piled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet stop which is adjustable readily to handle various lengths of sheets.

Further-objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in detail in the appended claims.

Generally speaking, the equipment to which the present invention relates, comprises a bumper plate which is positioned behind a skid mounted on a gravity roll table, this skid being adapted to receive the sheets passing from the end of a processing line. The sheets are delivered to the skids from delivery pinch rolls at a velocity which would cause the sheets to overshoot the skid if it were not for the stop plate positioned in the line of travel of the sheets. The present invention is provided with a cushioning surface on the stop plate for resiliently cushioning the impact of the delivered sheets against the stop, thereby obviating possibility of damage to the sheets through their impact against the stop plate.

The improved construction of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of equipment embodying the present invention; I

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 11-11 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed side elevationof the apparatus of the present invention; part thereof being shown in section;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus shown 7 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional elevation the sheets to a horizontally adjustable guide D.

A steel beam E is mounted over the conveyor A on supports F and G, the beam E being an I-beam mounted parallel to the .axis of the conveyor.

A carriage H is mounted in the I-beam E. This carriage is composed of two complementary sections I and 9. Each of these sections is a rectangular box structure formed of four steel plates and open at each end so that each section will enclose the beam E. Thus, carriage section 1 may be formed of side plates H and i3, top plate 55 and bottom plate ll, these plates being welded together to form the open-ended box structure referred to above. Carriage section 9 is composed of similar side plates ii and 53, top plate I5 and bottom plate ll.

Within the rectangular box.structures of the carriage sections are four gravity type, ball bearing conveyor rollers, two of which indicated at it in carriage section l contact the upper flange 58 of the beam E at all times, and two of which, indicated at H) are spaced vertically from the rolls lfiand engage the bottom flange 2! of the beam- E at all times. These rolls are rotatably mounted on shafts 23 and 23', respectively, that are held in side plates ii and I3 of the carriage section "i. The carriage section 9 is similarly provided with rollers it and 59 which correspondwith rollers it and i9 and are mounted similarly in side plates ii and it of carriage section 9. Each of the carriage sections 1 and S is provided with a handwheel 24 and 24, respectively, that are mounted on threaded shafts 25 and 25' that extend through similar nuts 21 and 21' that are welded to the inner side walls i l and l i of the carriage sections. The threaded shafts 25 and 25' are rotated by the handwheels Z4 and 24 for engagement with the web 29 of the beam E.

Top plate l5 of carriage section I carries brackets ill in which brackets is mounted an air cylinder 33 containing a piston, the rod 35- of which terminates at its outer end into an eye 37. Side plate ll of carriage section 1 carries a-latch bar 39 which is pivoted for vertical movement on a pin 4| mounted in the side plate I l.

The bottom plate ll of carriage section I carries parallel depending lugs 43 between which is piston rod 35 of air cylinder 33.

each other.

pivoted on pin 45 mounted in loss 43, the upper portion 4? of the stop back plate 49, this portion of the stop plate being formed into an eye 5|, that receives the pin 65 on which the plate is suspended. The back plate 49 is a steel plate to which is secured a rubber cushionSl, a hard steel front plate 53 being mounted on the rubber cushion '59. Thus. plate 53 is engaged by the sheets being piled, the resilient cushion 5| acting as a shock absorber.

Top plate 55 of carriage section 9 carries parallel lugs 55 through which passes a pin 51 that is adapted to pass through the eye 31 of Bottom plate ill of carriage section 9 carries parallel lugs 59 through which passes pivot pin 5! for parallel toggle arms 63 that connect through pin 65 with'horizontally extending lug 61 that projects pin 69 for engagement with latch 39. Air cylindel- 33 is operated manually by means of a suitable'air valve (not shown) which is near the apparatus. For operating the improved mechanism ofthe present invention, eye 31 of piston rod 35 is connected through pin 91 and lugs 55 to the carriage section 9. Handwheel 24 is rotated until the shaft 25 locks with the web 29 of beam E. Handwheel 24' and shaft 25' are released from the web 29. The air cylinder is actuated to draw the carriage section 9 into close relationship with the carriage section I. This" causes latch bar 39 to latch with pin 63 because of the cam-shaped end recess 10 of the latch bar 39, thus securely positioning the carriage sections together. In. this position the sheet stop is suspended vertically below the cartriage section 1 and is heldvertical by toggle arms 63. The handwheels 24 and 24 are turned to release the shafts 25 and 25' from locking engagement with the web 29 of beam E. The entire assembly then is moved manually along the beam E until the front plate 53 of the stop assembly is the exact distance from the processing line L required to pack a given length of sheet. Whenhis position has been determined, handwheels 24 and 24' are tightenedmntil the shafts 25 and 25' bear against the'web 29 of beam E'with sufficient pressure to maintain the carriage sections in position during the piling operation.

When the pile of sheets has beencompleted, latch bar 39 is lifted manually, the handwheel 24' is loosened and air cylinder 33 is actuated to move the carriage sections I and 9 away from This movement causes toggle arms 63 to draw the stop assembly outwardly and swing in an are on pin 45 as a pivot, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3. Thus clearance is obtained for passage of the completed pile of sheets on skid B as it is pushed along the gravity conveyor A. When the sheet pile has cleared the piling mechanism, air cylinder 33 is returned to f its original position, thus again latching carriage sections 1 and 9 together, the handwheel 24 is tightened, and the mechanism is again in position to resume piling.

.'I claim:

1. A sheet stop for piling steel sheets delivered onto a piling conveyor from a sheet processing line, which comprises, in combination, a piling conveyor, a beam mounted over the conveyor in axial parallelism therewith, carriage instrumentalities on the said beam comprising independently movable sections adapted to be moved into suspended from the forward section of said carriage instrumentalities comprising a backing plate, an abutment plate carried by the backing plate adapted to be impacted by sheets delivered onto the conveyor by the processing line and to pile the said sheets, pivotally connected toggle arms extending between and connecting said backing plate with the rearward section of said carriage instrumentalities, and a resilient shock absorbing cushion intermediate the abutment plate and backing plate, the said toggle arms comprising lifting instrumentalities responsive to separating movement between the independentl movable sections for lifting the sheet stop instrumentalities for providing clearance for the piled sheets responsively to separating movement between the carriage sections.

2. Sheet stop mechanism for piling steel sheets delivered onto a piling conveyor from a sheet processing line, which comprises, in combination, a piling conveyor, a beam mounted over the conveyor in axial parallelism therewith, carriage instrumentalities on the said beam comprising independently movable sections adapted to be moved into and away from engagement with each other, means for locking the sections together responsively to movement thereof into mutually engaging positions, roller means in the carriage sections engaging the beamfor enabling movement of the carriage sections along the beam into predetermined adjusted position, means for releasably locking the carriage sections to the beam in adjusted position, sheet stop instrumentalities suspended from the forward carriage section comprising a backing plate, an abutment plate carried by the backing plate adapted to be impacted by sheets delivered onto the conveyor by the processing line, and to pile the said sheets, and a resilient shock absorbing cushion intermediate the abutment plate and backing plate, and bracing means .for rigidly holding the sheet stop instrumentalities, the said bracing means extending between and pivotally connecting the rearward section of said carriage instrumentalities and said backing plate; and defining lifting means for lifting the sheet stop instrumentalities responsively to separating movement between the carrier sections, whereby clearance for the piled sheets is provided responsively to' the said separating movement between the carrier sections.

3. Sheet stop mechanism for piling steel sheets delivered onto a piling conveyor from a sheet processing line, which comprises, in combination, a piling conveyor, a beam mounted over the conveyor in axial parallelism therewith, carriage instrumentalities mounted on the said beam comprising a pair of complementary and independently movable box-like bodies enclosing the said beam, vertically spaced rollers mounted on the box-like bodies bearing against the beam enabling movement of the box-like bodies along the beam to a predetermined adjusted position, an air cylinder on one of the said bodies having a piston therein, the said piston having its rod terminating in an eye at its outer end, a pin connection for the said eye on the other of the said box-like bodies, means for locking the box-like bodies together responsively to the said piston operating to draw the said bodies into mutually essing line, and a resilient shock abutment plate and backing tions along the beam,

the box-like bodies to the beam, sheet stop instrumentalities pivotally suspended from one'oi the box-like bodies, the sheet stop instrumentalities comprising an abutment plate pivotally suspended irom one of the box-like bodies into position for stopping passage of the sheets along the conveyor and piling the sheets one on another. an abutment plate adapted to be impacted by sheets delivered onto the conveyor rrom the procabsorbing cushion intermediate the plate, and toggle arms pivotally connecting the sheet stop instrumentalities to the other of the box-like bodies, the said toggle arms bracing the sheet stop instrumentalities in rigid vertical sheet-stopping and piling position while defining lifting means for lifting the sheet stop instru-' mentalities responsively to separating movement between the box-like bodies, until the sheet stop instrumentalities clear for enabling the said piled up sheets to pass alon the said conveyor.

4. Sheet stop mechanism for stopping and piling steel sheets delivered onto a piling conveyor irom "a sheet processing line which comprises, in combination, a piling conveyor .ior the sheets, a beam mounted over the conveyor in axial parallelisni therewith, carriage I mounted on the said beam and comprising a pair oi complementary independently movable sections, roller means in the sections engaging the beam for permitting movement of the secfluid-actuated piston means interconnecting the sections for imparting relative movement therebetween for bringing the sections together in contracted position and ior' separating the sections into expanded position, a sheet stop assembly depending from one or the carriage sections when in sheet stopping position, and pivotally connected thereto, and toggle means pivotally connected to the sheet stop assembly and to the other- 0f the carriag sections. the said toggle means defining a rigid backing support for the sheet stop assembly when the said sheet stop assembly is in operative vertical position and conthe now piled up sheets A instrumentalities .ing and closing movement between the carriage sections.

5. Sheet stop mechanism for stopping and piling steel sheets delivered from asheet processing line, which comprises, in combination, a piling conveyor for the sheets, a beam mounted over the conveyor in axial parallelism therewith, carriage instrumentalities mounted on and comprising a pair of complementary independently movable sections, each comprising an open-@ended box-like body, rollers in the bodies engaging the beam for permitting movement of the-sections along the beam, fluid-actuated piston means interconnecting the carriage sections for imparting relative movement therebetween for bringing the sections together in contracted or closed position and for separating the sections into separated or expanded position, a sheet stop assembly substantially vertically depending from one of the carriage sections when in operative sheet stopping position and pivotally connected to its carriage section, and toggle arms pivotally connected to the sheet stop assembly and to the other of the carriage sections, the said toggle arms defining substantially vertically stituting means for raising and lowering the sheet stop assembly between clearing position for a pile of sheets on the conveyor and operative vertical sheet stopping position responsively to separatplate.

a rigid' backing support for the sheet stop assembly when the sheet stop assembly is in operative vertical position and constituting operating means for raising and lowering the sheet stop assembly between clearing position for a pile of sheetson the conveyor and operative vertical sheet stopping position responsively to separating and closing movement between the carriage sections, the said sheet stop assembly comprising a backing plate, a'hard face plate adapted to be v engaged by sheets passing onto the conveyor from the processing line, and resilient shock-absorbing cushion between the face plate and the backing CHARLES A. LARKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,821,001 Bower Sept. 1, 1931 1,951,178 Smitmans Mar. 13, 1934 2,235,347, Zahutnik Mar. 18, 1941 

